7

Jan woke with a dire need for the loo and she hot stepped it quickly out of bed and crossed the room. In the living room she stepped over the long form on the floor and carried on to the bathroom. When she came out she limped to the kitchen, her foot was hurting a little less now as she got some movement going in it and she opened the blinds a little to get some light and pulled her dressing gown around her as she poured water in the electric kettle and turned it on to boil then she turned to find Xena sitting up watching her. She smiled sleepily." Good or coffee?" Xena pursed her lips and her eyebrows rose and Jan realised Xena wouldnt know what tea or coffee was or anything else for that matter. Better start again." Good morning." she said." Goo morninn." Xena repeated. Close enough Jan thorght, this was going to be learning day Jan thorght and showed Xena the amminaties of the bathroom. Xena marveled at the modern facilities and Jan left her to it. When Xena came out again Jan handed her a mug of hot liquid and a bowl of cereal and a spoon." Coffee." Jan said pointing to the mug and Xena sipped it and found she liked the taste." Coffee mmm." then she ate the cereal as Jan ate hers." Good?" Xena smiled back." Good."

Putting the empty bowl down Xena followed Jan as she opened the blinds in the living room and pointed out the window. From the first floor Xena saw a small area of cloudy looking sky above and looked down over a busy street full of moveing traffic in a tree lined road with buildings going off into the distance, all seemed surounded by brick and concrete and people of all races and multicoultral backgrounds were going about their buisness dressed in a variety of clothes and styles and in the light of day the vehicles looked weirder and more colourful than she had seen in the dark. Large and small cars, vans and lorrys and bikes some with engines some not, and she remembered Jan's crashed bike. Not even Athens or Rome with it's new building works and the varied races looked like this, this was a real shock and Xena's heart sank, her senses reeled as she realised how far she was from the world she knew and how far she was from Gabrielle and she looked at Jan feeling totally lost. What had happened to her? Where was she, and how could she get back to Gabrielle and to her own time?

" Gabrielle" Xena moaned not dareing to think what might have happened to her. She didn't care a fig for where she was she just knew she had to get back as quickly as possible. She'd barely slept worrying about it and seeing just how far a different place she was in made her see how far she was from the one she loved above all. " Gabrielle." she said more urgently to Jan, and the young woman flipped open her laptop and started looking for information anything in fact that might help them then she saw something in one of the trending news items. Somebody had filmed something unusual last night and put it on twitter and the news media had picked up on the story because of the hits it had. Jan went to the tv and turned it on and the newsreader linked in saying the police were looking for the people in the film clip and on both screens they suddenly saw Xena attacking the car and then the two of them running off and the bbc kept showing them comeing out of the blackness as if from nowhere. Xena was mezmerised what magic was this? how could they be in these boxes? This was bad Jan thorght swearing under her breath they'd been seen and she would soon be recognised. She trusted Pete not to say anything but she was sure there were others who would talk. The rest of the news became the usual stuff, of wars and conflicts around the world with murders and accidents thrown in on top and ending with the sports results.

A knock at the door made them both jump and Xena went to draw her sword Jan waived her down as she closed down the laptop and turned off the tv before she opened the door. Mrs Weston was standing there." I havn't seen you for a while are you alright dear? I heard you come in last night." she said then she saw Xena standing there and Jan said quickly." I hurt my foot." but the old woman wasnt listening as she stared at Xena." My cousin Xena, she dosn't speak English. She's only here for a few days." Jan said but the old lady smiled and wouldnt be put off as she turned back to the warrior." Hello my name is Pearl. You'd like to come to my party wouldn't you? 6'oclock." she beamed at Xena and then breazed out and Jan sighed as she closed the door again." Oh damn." she swore. The lonely, old busybody wasnt going to let her out of this. Then she looked at a bemused Xena and wondered how was she going to explain they were going to a party.

6'oclock came around and Xena and Jan were standing at mrs Weston's door. Xena didnt have a clue what was going on only that Jan had insisted she change her clothes for the long skirt and blouse she had given her to put on and she had squeezed into them as she couldnt fit into anything else. Jan was also dressed in her best clothes and wishing she could be somewhere else. Pearl let them in with a beaming smile and introduced them to the group of people already gathered in her living room, friends of the late 'Bert' and his wife. The party such as it was, was full of friendly chatter and cups of tea and wedges of home made cakes and as Jan and Xena were the only strangers there Jan began to wonder why they had been invited. She began to see the ebullient Pearl wasnt the lonely woman she thorght she was, which made their pressance all the more incongruous to her.

Tom and Harry had worked with Bert and showed their friendship was of long standing with Pearl. Tom had brought his wife June and there were three other women Bette, Rhiannon and Sally and who were undoubtably friends of the couple for many years. Harry was an inverate joker full of cheeky charm with the other women and Jan and Xena were not left out though and their inclusion became a problem for Jan as questions were asked about them as to where Xena was from and what did she think of this and that. She lied ofcourse saying Xena was on holiday and she was only here for a few days and Jan had to pretend to comunicate with Xena and translate their questions for her. Xena tried not to laugh as Jan spoke nonsence in a phoney language to her and gave her winks and nods and she answered in her own tongue knowing Jan understood nothing of what she was saying and getting pointers on when she was to laugh at Harry's naughty boy jokes, he was obviously flirting with the warrior and Jan kept herself between him and Xena to keep the atmosphere genial as she wasnt sure how Xena would react if she knew what he was doing. Xena did know but as Jan was fending him off quite well anyway she didnt feel the need to put him off in her usual fashion. She's almost as good as Gabrielle Xena thorght as the talk slowly moved on to other things and there came a moment when Pearl called on her friends to remember her beloved husband but that was the only time there was any sadness and the party resumed on it's happy course again.

Xena began feel they were being watched though, she had the oddest feeling from the old woman opposite as they looked at each other but she didnt call it to Jan's attention and after a while Tom, his wife and Harry left kissing Pearl goodby and waiveing to everyone and then Jan felt it was time to make their getaway too and Jan said thanks for a good time and motioned Xena out." Well was I right?" Pearl said and the three old women looked up at her and Rhiannon nodded." Yes, you were right. Did you do it?" Pearl nodded." Yes she got it."

Jan and Xena returned to the flat and Jan resumed her search on the laptop. She looked up shamanism both ancient and modern but it only mentioned time shifting on a personal level it didnt mention holes of any kind or time travel other than through trance and the only holes she could find were those out in space, in the earth or were dug out by humankind, but there was nothing about the upright type they had fallen through. She couldnt find anything she was directly looking for. Jan dove her hands into her pockets in frustration and her fingers found a scrap of paper. How did it get there? then she remembered Pearl brushing past her and she thorght it must have been her. For an old woman her sleight of hand was very good, she'd never felt a thing but why the secrecy? she thorght as she opened it out. It was a short enigmatic message. A telephone number then. We need to talk, call me. and signed Rhiannon and she noticed the writing was in a very elegant copperplate script. Wow Jan thorght a well educated woman. She'd thorght the woman was a bit odd but this was begining to feel rather spooky. She had felt slightly uncomfortable under the woman's eagle like gaze above her slightly hooked nose but she hadnt paid much mind to it at the time but now she wasnt sure what someone like her wanted with them should she should follow this up? What did she want with them and what did they have to talk about, had they seen them on tv after all and was this a trap? All these questions and more rumbled through her head. Xena looked at her seeing her look of concern and not knowing what was troubleing her was also disconcerting to the warrior. Jan got up and walked to the kitchen and began to make hot drinks for them both. She had to think carefully about this and all it's ramifications and she always felt better with a cup of tea when she had thorny issues to work out." Come here Xena I'm gonna teach you the right way to make a perfect cup of 'Rosy Lee.' The pancea for all ills and troubles me old muvver used to say." She said in her best cockney accent to brighten up her wilting spirit." Panacea." Xena said recognising one word out of the rest of Jan's rambling. Jan burst out laughing and Xena felt a pang of memory of Gabrielle laughing like that in a high infectious way of hers and she wanted to hug Jan for reminding her. She stopped herself thinking it would be inapropriate and likely misunderstood and concentrated on her lesson in tea makeing instead.

How odd Xena thorght, back home she had left such things to Gabrielle and she hated doing the normal general chores to do with cooking, put water in a pan, put pan on the fire not thinking too much about it but here she was miles and years, so many years she couldnt think apart and she was enjoying the activity. Ok the basics were still the same you had to heat the water but how it was done was very different. Tea made and Xena tasted it and remembered it was what she'd had downstairs and she pointed to it." Rossi?" and she frowned as Jan laughed again. " Noooo let's keep this real." she didnt feel teaching Xena cockney rhyming slang was a good idea and with her 'accent' it would only confuse both her and anyone hearing it." Tea." she said. Then Jan thorght she'd better start thinking of something a bit more substantial in the way of food than the tea cakes they had eaten." Are you hungry?" A bit of playacting and Xena nodded vigorously." Well you'll find out I'm no great cook but lets knock ourseleves out." She showed Xena the fridge and Xena was amazed at the sudden coldness. It didnt take long to find something. Bacon and eggs were both recognisable and quick to prepair and Jan added frozen chips to fill out the meal. She called everything by name and showed Xena how to light the oven and put the chips in then she laid the bacon slices on the grill pan. When she thorght the chips were near ready she set the meat to cook and began to break the eggs into a bowl as she waited for the oil to heat in the fry pan. The smell of cooking made Xena salivate and Jan said." Plates." and pointed as she poured the eggs into the fry pan, to a cupboard and Xena got two plates. Quickly dishing up Jan got out condiments and the cutlery. Xena laughed at the forks reminding her of minature bent tridents and Jan showed her how to use them. Then they sat down to eat and nothing more was said until they were full and the plates were empty. Xena gave a loud burp and said." Good." Jan smiled and pointed to herself and gave the shaky hand signal to signify her cooking wasnt all that special and Xena did the same in reply that said her cooking skills wasnt all that good either and they both laughed at that. Jan cleared the plates, made another pot of tea to wash it down with and they sat in comfortable silence savoring the moment drinking slowly. Setting down her cup Jan looked at the message again Xena leaned close and Jan said." From Rhiannon." Xena frowned at her and tapped the paper." Rhiannon what does she want?" Jan nodded." I don't know but maybe she's offering to help do you want me to call her?" Dispite the fact they didnt know each others words they did understand each other and Xena nodded. It was their next step and direction and even though Xena had felt a strange pull and a danger eminateing from the woman it was risk she felt they had to take if she was ever going to return to her own time and Gabrielle. " Okay I'll call her in the morning." Jan decided and rose to her feet." Alright lets have some fun what sort of music do you like?" she put a cd on to play and began to gyrate around the room, grabbing a bottle of red wine from the fridge and dancing back. Jan had a wide range and taste of music, from rock, jazz, folk and classical and Xena marvelled at the explosion of musical art that had taken place over the eons as Jan played from her large selection of musical taste. Xena enjoyed the nateral sound of the voices and was pleased to hear more and Jan was more than happy to oblige. She poured the wine and Xena heard sounds and words and chords that she had never heard before and what a far cry from the sophisitcated Flutes and Lyras, Barbitos and the Pandouris and drum beats she knew, it boosted her own love of music like a bomb. Gabrielle would love this art stuff and she suddenly felt sad the bard wasnt there to apreciate it and then she wondered if the other arts had done the same and they probably had if this was anything to go by. Jan had another idea and she turned on the laptop and Xena was given an unprecidented view of art spread over more than two millenium and then Jan suddenly wondered if she was blowing Xena's mind and senses too quickly as she saw a tear roll down her cheek and she sank down beside the warrior and full of concern that she may have gone too far as she looked into her eyes trying to show how she felt for the woman so set adrift and in a world she barely understood. Xena shook her head so vigorously it surprised her. Xena loved what she saw and heard and it was just her missing Gabrielle that brought her tears." It's for Gabrielle." she said and Jan patted her shoulder." Boy your so lucky, yeah I got these lovely things you think nice flat, all this fancy stuff, good job but I'd give all that up for a little piece of what you have, It's what we all search for isn't it, a one true love." she rolled her glass around in her hands and sighed as she poured and drank some more." I know you don't want to be here but I didn't want to come back either. I thorght I was going to get my chance too, back there. Caro, he was a really nice guy and we were begining to, more than anyone has here, more than anyone I've ever wanted." she said sadly." At least you have a love, had a love but I didn't even get close and now I've lost my chance," She sniffed back her own tears that threatened to fall and she looked away.

Did she say she was in love with Caro? Xena didnt get much of that the odd word here and there but she understood that surounded by all these modern gadgets and wonderful things underneath it all Jan was a very lonely person. Jan seemed not to have any sort of love interest and that guy 'Pete' was no more than a loose friend at best, she could see that and she had seen for herself the looks and glances she and Caro had passed between them. Xena had understood because it was something she herself had craved for without knowing until the day Gabrielle had walked into her life and changed everything for her. Love. She had been that lonely too and a year or two ago she would have laughed cynicly at Jan for such an admission but now today she wouldnt, because she knew exactly how Jan felt. She wanted love just as Xena loved Gabrielle and knew she was loved in return and she realized she couldnt live without that now and why Jan was so sad.

She wanted to help but for now there was nothing she could do for Jan except be a friend to her and Xena gave her a friendly smile." It'll be alright I don't know how but it will. Go to bed your drunk." she said and Jan nodded rose unsteadily and headed off for the bedroom. Xena went slowly round the room and turned off the gadgets, it was strange a flick of a switch and the thing was dead. She got the pillow and duvet out the cupboard and made her bed and she switched out the light and undressed in the dark then made herself comfortable rolled up in the covers. What had surprised her still was that in all the time that had passed between their worlds how some things were still the same. People still were nasty to one another, she'd seen that on the 'tv' and people needed love and to be loved. Xena closed her eyes. What ever happens Gabrielle know this, I'm coming back to you. I will come back to you.

The instroments mentioned are all genuine ancient Greek but I dont think I need to explain rhyming slang do I. all feedback and reviews are appreciated.